US3142844A

US3142844A - Strand type suspenders

Info

Publication number: US3142844A
Application number: US100678A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alan E Murray
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-04-04
Filing date: 1961-04-04
Publication date: 1964-08-04
Anticipated expiration: 1981-08-04

Description

Aug. 4, 1964 A. MURRAY STRAND TYPE SUSPENDERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 4, 1961 F/GZ INVZ'WTOR. ALAN E. MURRAY ATTORNEYS.

1964 A. E. MURRAY 3,142,844

STRAND TYPE SUSPENDERSY Filed April 4, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG 4 INVENTOR.

ALAN E. MURRAY= ATTORNEYS! United States Patent Filed Apr. 4, 1961, 581. No. 100,673 4 Claims. (U. 2-326) This invention relates to new forms of suspender and belt devices for supporting trousers or other clothes which drape down from the waist.

Clothes of this type are conventionally supported either by belts of relatively inelastic material or by suspenders made from rectangular strips of material which rest on the shoulders of the wearer. In both cases there is an objectionable constriction or pressure on the body which can eventually cause severe discomfort, particularly to those who engage in sustained vigorous body movements as, for example, athletes and dancers. The problem has existed for some time and received little, if any, attention to date.

I have now discovered certain forms of suspenders and belts which may be used to support clothes of the type described without the slightest tendency of discomfort or restriction of the body. My results stem from the fact that in the devices of my invention, controlled inherent tension is applied against the body in a particular configuration or arrangement which takes into account the difference between the degree of movement in certain parts of the body as compared to others and the capability of such parts to better withstand pressure than the others. More specifically, the devices of my invention utilize the important fact that the parts of the human body located along central vertical lines extending up from the waist along the front and back of the trunk make smaller and fewer movements during normal human activities than other parts such as the arms, shoulders and lateral portions of the waist. Furthermore, these central parts have a better capability of withstanding pressure since they are primarily comprised of rigid bone near the surface of the body as, for example, the sternum and spinal column. Thus, by applying controlled tension almost exclusively against these parts, the structures of my invention provide adequate support for clothes in a manner which is least restrictive of body movements and least discomfortable to the wearer. Furthermore, means are provided for adjusting the tension in the suspenders and belts after they have been donned so that the wearer can fit the structures to his own taste for every occasion of body activity. By such adjustments it is possible to optimize the fit to the point where the wearer is virtually unaware of the presence of the devices on and around his body.

Briefly stated, the suspender devices of my invention comprise individual strands of elastic material which are positioned singly or in a group around the neck and down the central portions of the front and back of the trunk, terminating at the waist in clips, hooks, or other means for attachment to clothes. The strands of material are held in position along the central portions of the trunk by keepers which gather the strands together below the neck and are slid'able for purposes of adjusting tension. Preferably the structure is made from three separate parts consistin of a closed main loop of strands, to opposite sides of which two additional sets of strands carrying the attachment means are joined. However, this is not ac tually necessary md two sets of strands, not joined together, except for the keepers, may be employed.

The belt devices of my invention also comprise strands of elastic material which, singly or in a group, are positioned around the wearers waist. The primary function of the belt is not one of support as the trousers, for example, of the wearer are mainly supported by the suspenders. The belt is required, however, to complement 3,142,844 Patented Aug. 4, I964 the support of the suspenders in the sense of applying slight tension against the lateral portions of the trousers to maintain these portions in loose, comfortable engagement with the wearers waist. The belt also has one or more slidable keepers which permits adjustment of the tension therein according to the wearers desire.

One important point in the devices of my invention is that the elastic material is used in the form of individual strands, either singly or in a group, which are not permanently joined together as in a rope or woven cloth. Thus, a portion of a suspender device may comprise -a single strand of elastic material or a plurality of strands but in all cases, except for the slidable keepers or certain points where one set of strands must be joined to another, the separate and distinct entity of each strand is preserved. I have found that freedom on the part of each strand to become stretched or tensioned independently of the others is an important factor although I do not now fully understand the reasons for this. Thus, it will be understood that reference to a group of strands means a plurality of separate individual strands which may be joined to other strands at discrete points as by slidable keepers or permanently but which otherwise are maintained separate and independent of each other.

As to the actual material which I employ, this may be any strand of material which has elasticity or may be stretched. Many types of such strands are available oommercially, some of which comprise a core of rubber or other elastomeric material around which a thread of cotton or other relatively inelastic textile material is spun or woven. In other cases a core of inelastic textile material is enoircled by rubber or similar material. The specific type of material is not important as I can use any strand of elastic material which has sufiicient strength to support the particular clothes at hand.

Since the front portions of my suspender devices are visible when worn under a jacket, they are well suited to serve in place of conventional neckties and furthermore, provide an entirely unique appearance. The strands of the device can have intricate stitch patterns and be held in place with ornate slidable keepers such as embossed metal plaques, carved wooden rings and similar decorative pieces. Thus, it is possible to provide artistic designs of great variety in the device itself so that the invention in effect makes possible a new form of clothing accessory of high esthetic appeal.

While I have now briefly described the invention in terms of strands of elastic material, it is also possible, though much less preferred, to employ tapes or rectangular strips of elastic material in place of the strands. In such case it is necessary to provide at least one adjustment means in the yoke portion of the suspenders and in the belt to control and adjust tension therein. The adjustment means in the yoke portion of the suspenders is less conveniently located for use than the means provided in devices made with strands and for this reason I prefer to make my devices with separate strands as described above. However, I do not intend to preclude the use of tapes or rectangular strips of elastic material from anything contained in this specification as these materials can also be used to form operable devices within the scope of my invention.

Further details of my invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate preferred embodiments thereof and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a suspender device.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same device while being worn.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of suspender device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective View of an attachment means.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a belt device.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of another modified form of suspender device.

Turning to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a preferred form of suspender device is there shown in which there is a main loop 16 formed with four separate strands of elastic material. Opposite sides 11 of this loop are each passed through a keeper 12 which may be a ring formed from metal, wood, leather, or other material. To one side 11 of the loop 14 there is joined a second group of strands of elastic material 14 by the attachment means 13. The group of strands 14 is preferably made with two strands. This group of strands also is encircled by a keeper 16 which may be the same as or different from the keepers 12. The two ends of the strands of the group 14 are each passed through an attachment means 18 and then doubled back through an additional keeper 2.0. The ends of the strands are then knotted together as at 22 and these knots prevent the ends from slipping through the keepers 20. That side of the loop which is joined to the group of strands 14 comprises the front portion of the suspenders.

On the opposite side of the loop 10 a group of strands of elastic material 24, also made with two strands, is joined to the main loop with the attachment means 13. This group of strands is also passed through a keeper 2 6 similar to keeper 16 in the front portion of the suspender. The terminal ends of the strands in group 24 are joined to attachment means 18.

As shown in FIG. 2 the suspender structure of FIG. I is worn by placing the loop 10 around the neck and then attaching the attachment means 18 to the trousers or other clothes to be supported. Initially, the length of the suspender and the tension therein can be adjusted by the group of strands numbered 14. The ends of these strands can be moved upwardly or downwardly to shorten or lengthen their overall length as measured between the attachment means 13 and 18 and this increases or decreases the initial tension in the device. The strands are maintained in the selected position by the keepers 29. The upper keeper 20 is pushed up against the knot 22 and the lower keeper 20 is pushed down against the attachment means 18 to maintain the terminal portions of the strands doubled back to any desired length. Finer adjustments in tension may then be made by the keeper i2 which increases the degree of stretching in the strands of the loop 10 by controlling the length of the strands as measured from each side of the neck down to the point Where the loop 10 is joined to the group of strands 14-. The dotted lines represent the shortest length when keeper 12 is slid down to the lowest point of the loop 10 and the strands are least stretched. The full lines show the keeper 12 in its uppermost position Where the length of the strands is the greatest so that the strands, in stretching across this maximum length, give the maximum tension. Adjustment of tension may also be made by moving the second keeper 12 upwardly or downwardly along the spinal column of the wearer as described for the front keeper 12.

FIG. 3 shows a modified form of suspender device. In this embodiment the main loop 19 is closed only at one side as at 28 and the opposite side of the loop 10 opens into separate terminal ends as at St). Four strands of material are used on each side of the loop 10. The open ends 30 of the loop are passed through two keepers 31 and then joined to the attachment means 32. These keepers 30 and attachment means 32 may be similar to or different from the corresponding parts in the device of FIG. 1. The closed side of the loop it? in the device of FIG. 3 is joined to a group of strands 33 made up of four individual strands. The ends of this group of strands are passed through the keeper 34 and then are knotted as at 36 at spaced intervals. In using this form of device the knots 36 provide means for adjusting the initial length of the suspenders by hooking them to suitable attachment means provided on the back of the trousers or other i clothes to be supported. The knots nearest the ends of the strands will give the greatest length and least initial tension while the knots farthest from the ends will give the shortest length and the maximum initial tension. in this form of device the two keepers 31 provide means for fine adjustment of tension which is more flexible than that of the device of FIG. 1 since both the upper and lower points, where the groups of strands are gathered together to cause stretching, may be varied in location according to the wearers desire.

FIG. 4 illustrates one form of attachment means which may be used for joining the ends of the suspenders to the trousers or other clothes to be supported and for joining one group of strands in a suspender device to another group. The attachment means comprises a rod of metal or other flexible material which is bent into an S-curve with one loop of the curve being continued into a circle to provide a closed loop. This form of attachment means can be made of any desired dimension by a simple bending operation and is the means I prefer to employ. However, other known means of attachment such as clips, snap-fasteners, or eyelets may be used.

FIG. 5 illustrates a preferred form of belt device. This device comprises two main strands of elastic material which are folded in half at 38 to form one end of the belt. The two strands forming one side of the fold are then passed through the closed loop of an attachment means 4% similar to the one shown in FIG. 4 except that the open loop of the S-curve is substantially closed. The attachment means 40 is then slipped up to the fold 38. All four strands are then permanently joined together just behind the attachment means as by sewing in order to hold the attachment means in place at the fold 38. The opposite ends of the four strands are then passed through the loop of a second attachment means 42, then doubled back and passed through a slidable keeper 44.

.The ends of the four strands projecting out behind the keeper 4-!- may be sewn together or knotted as desired. The keeper 44 provides a way for adjusting the tension in the belt by holding the doubled back portion of the strands in this position at any desired length. The tension in the bolt is adjusted to just complement the support of the suspenders, that is, suificient tension is developed to maintain the trousers or other clothes being supported in loose engagement with the waist of the wearer. No greater tension than this is needed since the clothes are virtually wholly supported by the suspender device and as a result, an objectionable constriction of the wearers waist is entirely avoided.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of Suspender device in which two groups of strands of elastic material 46 are employed and each group is preferably made of four separate strands. Four keepers 48 are employed to hold the two groups of strands together along the front and back portion of the body, two of the keepers being positioned on the front portion and the other two on the back portion. Both ends of each group of strands are joined to attachment means 59 which may be of the con figuration illustrated in FIG. 4 or any other suitable type. In this embodiment, the keepers 48, positioned in the front and back of the body, are slidable and may be located in various positions to control the tension in the suspender. If desired, the ends of the two groups of strands may be knotted and retained in doubled-over position by means of additional keepers, similar to the keepers 2t? shown in FIG. 1, in order to provide means for controlling the initial tension in the device. The knotted form of structure may be used for the ends of the strands at the front or back portion of the device or for both. Many additional modifications and combinations of parts of the various devices will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

All of the embodiments of the invention hereinabove described employ more than one strand of elastic material. However, it is also possible to use only a single strand in both the suspender and belt and achieve satisfactory results, particularly when the clothes are of a light-weight nature. Furthermore, it will be noted that the specific number of strands in some parts of the structures can differ from the number in other parts. This provides additional means for controlling the inherent tension of the structures on a differential basis which may add to the comfort of the particular wearer. In general, I prefer to use about two to six strands of material in the various parts of the suspender and belt devices. Also, the keepers in the front portion of the suspender or belt may be of a decorative nature to add to the attractiveness of the devices. If the wearer desires to present a conventional appearance then a front keeper havinga necktie attached thereto may be used in the front portion of the Suspender. Also additional ornaments or decorative pieces can be added to the keeper in any desired combination.

It will be understood that it is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the preferred embodiment of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of illustration which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A device for supporting clothes in position around the waist which comprises a closed loop of elastic strand material, at least two slidable keeper means spaced apart from each other and holding portions of said loop adjacent each other, the portions of the loop intermediate said spaced keeper means being adapted to engage in part the sides of the wearers neck, the remaining portions of said loop being adapted to extend down substantially the center of the front and back of the trunk of a body along substantially vertical lines, at least one strand of elastic material attached to each of the portions of said loop extending beyond said spaced keeper means, said strands of second-mentioned elastic material each having two terminal ends, and means positioned at said terminal ends for attachment to the clothes being supported.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which at least one slidable keeper means is positioned in each of said strands of second-mentioned elastic material.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which the terminal ends of said strand of said second-mentioned elastic material in the front of the trunk are folded back from the attachment means, at least two slidable keeper means holding each of the terminal ends in folded position and a knot positioned in the folded portion of each of the terminal ends extending out from the slidable keeper means.

4. A device for supporting clothes which comprises at least one strand of elastic material folded in half to form a loop, each of the half portions of said looped strand being adapted to engage in part one side of the wearers neck and to extend down substantially the center of the front and back of the trunk of a body along substantially vertical lines, the terminal ends of said looped strand adapted to be positioned near the waist along the front of the trunk and the fold of said looped strand adapted to be positioned near the waist along the back of the trunk, at least one slidable keeper means for holding the half portions of said looped strand adjacent each other along the back of the trunk, at least two slidable keeper means for holding the half portions of said looped strand adjacent each other along the front of the trunk, means positioned at the terminal ends of said looped strand for attachment to the clothes being supported, at least one additional strand of elastic material attached to the fold of said looped strand and adapted to be located along the back of the trunk, said additional strand of elastic material having two terminal ends, at least one slidable keeper means holding portions of said additional strand adjacent each other and a plurality of knots positioned in each of the terminal ends of said additional strand.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 558,268 Erlanger Apr. 14, 1896 619,006 Wurgler Feb. 7, 1899 696,842 Phelps Apr. 1, 1902 824,907 Cleveland July 3, 1906 1,481,770 Winter Jan. 22, 1924 1,599,011 Hohn Sept. 7, 1926 2,436,581 Lazare Feb. 24, 1948 2,440,982 Speller et a1. May 4, 1948 2,677,488 Prusan May 4, 1954 2,777,134 Kaufman Jan. 15, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 2,230 Great Britain Nov. 16, 1886 749,879 Great Britain June 6, 1956

Claims

1. A DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING CLOTHES IN POSITION AROUND THE WAIST WHICH COMPRISES A CLOSED LOOP OF ELASTIC STRAND MATERIAL, AT LEAST TWO SLIDABLE KEEPER MEANS SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER AND HOLDING PORTIONS OF SAID LOOP ADJACENT EACH OTHER, THE PORTIONS OF THE LOOP INTERMEDIATE SAID SPACED KEEPER MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO ENGAGE IN PART THE SIDES OF THE WEARER''S NECK, THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF SAID LOOP BEING ADAPTED TO EXTEND DOWN SUBSTANTIALLY THE CENTER OF THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE TRUNK OF A BODY ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL LINES, AT LEAST ONE STRAND OF ELASTIC MATERIAL ATTACHED TO EACH OF THE PORTIONS OF SAID LOOP EXTENDING BEYOND SAID SPACED KEEPER MEANS, SAID STRANDS OF SECOND-MENTIONED ELASTIC MATERIAL EACH HAVING TWO TERMINAL ENDS, AND MEANS POSITIONED AT SAID TERMINAL ENDS FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE CLOTHES BEING SUPPORTED.